Meet Me On The Battlefield
by Dolores Storey
Summary: Plagued by memories of Myra, Sebastian once believed Kidman could replace his wife's role in the KCPD but one dreary night in the depths of STEM, he realizes how different his junior detective truly is. (Fluff stand-alone fic)


For the longest time she held barely any respect for him. Sebastian was not Sebastian without a flask and a cigarette. He was irresponsible, he rarely followed the rules. At least with Joseph Oda, Kidman could understand the method in his madness.

However, what Sebastian Castellanos thought of the junior detective was far different. It was the their first case as a trio and by the end of it, Juli Kidman was slumped over in the back of the police car fast asleep and tucked in with Seb's trench coat.

"Well, you think she proved you wrong detective Oda?" Asked Connelly, glancing to his rear view mirror at Joseph.

"Yeah, but he won't admit it." Remarked Sebastian, "Come on Jo, she's asleep, she won't find out. Just tell us that she did a good job."

Joseph pinched the bridge of his nose and adjusted his glasses. "She's a little reckless."

"And how's that?"

He adjusted in his seat and took a pencil from his pocket before jotting down a note in his journal. "In all honesty Seb? She's too much like Myra. I don't want her abandoning her team when things get rough."

"You are weak." The Administrator snarled, "You hold your partners to close. Such emotion will be your downfall."

Kidman growled a curse beneath her breath. "I don't want unnecessary people to die. What are you going to do? Punish me? You _need_ me."

The elder nodded, "Of course, you are needed, but what are a few marks on a pristine subject of Mobius?" He began pacing around Kidman's chair, a rough hand ran over the back of her shoulders, "Everyone relates you to Myra Hanson, I think it's about time to make you two twins." In those painful moments, Juli made her choice. It was between her friends, or glorified scientific terrorists. A violation of her basic human rights or two partners who seemed to care how she felt.

They were in the gory depths of STEM in a dark room lit only by the elder's lamp. Joseph was still nowhere to be found and now the other two were left concerned and injured.

"You look like shit." Sebastian chuckled, carefully cleaning up a wound on Kidman's arm.

"Great to know we're one and the same." Smirked Kidman, trying not to wince as Seb sacrificed a few drops of strong alcohol out onto her cut.

He rolled his eyes, "Real fucking funny."

"What? It's always been my life's goal to be a dick detective covered in gore."

He flicked the irritated skin causing her to flinch. With a growl under Kidman's breath she slapped the side of Seb's face.

"Really?" He snarled.

"I thought you'd look better with a bruised cheek too."

"You know I should hit you back."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh come on, you'd never hit a woman… well besides that bloody woman with the extra limbs you told me about."

"To be fair, that was less of a woman and more of a monster."

Kidman laughed under her breath, remembering The Shade, "Tell me about it. This place is insane." She expected hell, but STEM was a new level of horror she didn't expect. She couldn't imagine how Sebastian was feeling.

"This will sting." Seb muttered, preparing a strange, green, double syringe, "Arm out."

With a tightening in her chest, Kidman jumped back, "Are we playing doctor and patient now? Well to bad because you're not sticking that shit in me, _hell no_!"

Sebastian yanked her arm back towards him, scooting her against the pavement. With no mercy he plunged the needles into her bicep, causing her to yelp. He rolled his eyes and shushed her, "Oh poor baby got her shot. You're going to get us killed being that loud. Shut up."

Kidman huffed and sat back from her knees, glaring at Seb as he packed away his med kit and lay down on the hard concrete. "Get to bed, Kid." He ordered, turning away from her.

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "That's it? You stab me and then want me to sleep? My arm hurts-" before she could finish her sentence, her partner sat back up, grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her down beside him.

"I said, go to sleep. You need your rest, we have no idea when we need to wake up next."

"Seb-"

He shushed her again before doing the strangest thing. Gently, as if not to startle her, he shifted closer and cuddled up beside her.

There was a scent he recognized, Kidman's perfume, hiding under the sweat and blood from the day. It was the same scent Myra would wear and for a moment this sticky floor almost felt like his home and his comfortable bed and his wife and daughter sleeping soundly in his embrace – no. He couldn't go back in time like that, it wasn't healthy. Well most of the things he did was far from healthy, but he couldn't have doctors – let alone his partners – know the traumatic thoughts and memories he still harbored.

"Seb…" Kidman whispered, a shutter rattled beneath his arm.

"Yeah?" He wanted her to be quiet but for this brief moment, he just needed a quick distraction from his racing mind. Juli sighed and turned over, nuzzling her face into Sebastian's vest.

"I brought you into all of this." She muttered, a choke forming in the back of her throat. What did she do to deserve this punishment of seeing her partners be torn apart like this… to see Sebastian like this. She had seen what Myra did to Seb and Lily. He didn't deserve any more suffering. "I'm so sorry."

In that moment Sebastian truly realized how different Kidman was from what he initially believed. He thought she could replace Myra in a way. Juli seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Clever, mysterious, strict. However, not in their entire relationship did Seb ever hear his wife apologize. Even while their house and child burned before them she never once said how sorry she was, or when she left in the middle of the night never to be seen again, she never once shed a tear. But here Kidman was, the supposed clone of Myra curled tightly to Seb and trying to hide her tears in his shirt.

"You really exceeded my expectations of you." He said, combing his hand through her short blonde hair.

"What are you talking about?"

He decided to be honest, at least more honest that what he had ever been before. "I agreed to take you on and train you because you reminded me a lot like my first partner… but, she turned against the KCPD, and she turned against me. But you're not like that at all." He tipped her head up and lightly brushed the tears from her youthful face, "You're more loyal than she ever good be. I don't want you apologizing for things you can't control or they'll haunt you, trust me. You've become a great detective, and a great…" A great what? Friend? No, she was definitely not a "friend" she was more than that with no doubt. He thought of another word but before an idea cam to mind, Kidman scooted closer, her soft thumb running over his lips before she lightly kissed him.

"I hope you're proud of me then." She put a few inches of space between them while waiting for a response. After a few moments Kidman saw something she didn't even know he was capable of: a blush. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. "You have no idea ,Kid."


End file.
